The Dentzel carousel of Echo Park is a gorgeous example of the merry-go-round industry's early 20th century output
If there is a symbol of the genteel era before thrill rides came to define amusement parks, it is the carousel. Beautifully carved and painted horses twirl in a circle, moving up and down on shafts according to the steady rhythm of hidden machinery. The William H. Dentzel Company of Philadelphia built this particular carousel at Glen Echo Park in Maryland near Washington, D.C. It is one of 200 similar installations scattered around the country. The Glen Echo Park carousel features especially high-quality carvings by Daniel C. Muller, a premier craftsman of the time.
Carousels are a fascinating technology because they show how certain desires can be fulfilled through a variety of technological means. We have long loved to be driven in a circle atop animal sculptures! The idea of the merry-go-round precedes the industrial revolution, tracing its roots back to 18th century Europe. Early models were powered by draft animals and were little more than sculptures on chains that flew outward by the centrifugal motion caused by the rotation of the carousel. When steam-powered machinery came onto the scene, shafted carousels run by steam engines were built. As electricity diffused, it became the motive power of merriness.
The photographs of the carousel are a mix of black and white and color photographs from the Library of Congress' Built in America collection. In B&W, we get a glimpse of the machinery that drove the animal menagerie, while the color photos show off the carvings in all their painted glory. There are also several action shots drawn from other Library of Congress collections.The Echo Park carousel still runs seasonally. It opens for business around April of each year and closes in September.
The William H. Dentzel company still exists, too, though it has not reached its early 20th century heights. William H. Dentzel III and his children continue to build the amusements, sometimes, in keeping with the industry's long history of innovation, even powering them with solar panels.